Chelsea's Wade Waldrop approved as new head coach at James Clemens

Chelsea head football coach Wade Waldrop was approved on Thursday morning as the new head football coach at James Clemens in Huntsville. (AL.com file photo)

CHELSEA, Alabama -- Wade Waldrop did not soft-sell his decision to leave Chelsea after 10 years.

Waldrop, who spent seven of those years as head football coach, was approved Thursday morning as the new head football coach at James Clemens in Huntsville. James Clemens opened its doors last August.

Waldrop told his Chelsea players about the move at a 7:20 a.m. team meeting.

“There was no way I could have even been sitting at the table here for this opportunity without all the hard work of those good kids and players at Chelsea,” Waldrop said. “You talk about not realizing how deep your roots are until you start thinking about being somewhere 10 years and thinking about pulling those roots up. It took a lot of thought and prayer to make this move away from Chelsea.”

James Clemens, part of the Madison City Schools district, splintered from the previous Bob Jones attendance zone.

“It is a new school and it is something different,” Waldrop said. “That team played a lot of 9th and 10th graders in 6A football last year. So there’s a new foundation being laid here. To be a part of something new and being a part of starting a program is something I think any coach would say is exciting. That opportunity excites me.”

The Hartselle native emerged from a pool of more than 100 applicants. He will make more and have to do less. He won’t need to help out in other sports or serve as athletic director and still net a significant pay increase.

James Clemens looks like a Spain Park or Hewitt-Trussville. Everything is new. The facilities are top-notch. But it wasn’t specifically the new stuff that intrigued him.

It was mostly about a new opportunity.

“Just really a tremendous opportunity that came up over the last two weeks,” Waldrop said. “Great professional opportunity and a move for me and my family here. … The football part of it is a real small part of this move. It is just an opportunity to recharge and start somewhere different at a place that has a lot of opportunities for my family.”

His new bosses were pleased with their choice.

“We are very excited that Coach Waldrop is joining the Madison City and James Clemens team,” Madison County Schools superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said in a press release. “He has proven throughout his career that he has high expectations for his student athletes and himself. I am confident that he will hit the ground running.”

Waldrop replaces Bill Stewart, who left in January for an administrative job in the Jackson County School district in Georgia.

Waldrop earned his bachelor's degree in history and a masters in education at UAB. He has also coached at Fayetteville High in Sylacauga.

Waldrop and his wife, Kimberly, have two daughters and a son ages 6, 4 and 2, respectively.

In the release, Fowler said he spoke with Shelby County Schools Superintendent Randy Fuller before recommending Waldrop.

Fuller’s first comment was how Waldrop would be a “great hire.” Fowler said he was assured Waldrop was a man of good character and very invovled in the community.

Waldrop’s duties are expected to begin on March 1, but he was on campus on Thursday getting immersed into his new position.

He said the next football coach at Chelsea will be set with a good foundation. The Hornets moved up to Class 6A with the latest reclassification and are expected to stay there considering the population growth around the school.

The Hornets went 4-6 last season in their first year of 6A football.

“Everything is set up and ready to go next year,” Waldrop said. “They can focus on coaching football and doing the things that they need to do to be successful on the field. The off-season has been successful so far. I don’t see why Chelsea cannot improve next year barring any major injuries next season. There are definitely some talented and some hard-working players coming back at Chelsea.”

Jeff Sentell covers Birmingham high school sports for The Alabama Media Group and The Birmingham News. Write to him at jsentell@al.com.